We at Mahlum believe that every person on the planet is deserving of safe, secure places to live, work and learn, and we especially believe that no student should have to worry about endangering their lives by simply heading off to school in the morning.

Though all of us are trained in design, we’ve discovered that an intentional process of engaging users and stakeholders is the only way to assure that those whose lives will be most affected by the outcome have influence on how design unfolds to serve their needs.

Seattle Public Schools set out to replace Wilson-Pacific Elementary and Middle Schools, the new Cascadia Elementary School, and Robert Eagle Staff Middle School in order to provide modern facilities and serve a combined 1,660 students co-located on a 16.9 acre site.

via Jesse Walton The history behind school lunches is shared this week on Gastropod. Find out more about surplus meat and locally grown veggies. Check out this story: https://gastropod.com/lunch-gets-schooled/

Each year we gather our 90+ staff to connect, reflect, and strategize, strengthening bonds between our two offices and finding inspiration in our shared purpose. As we gathered in Portland this summer, we also included a day of service to help increase health and well-being in our community.

via Niki Lesko Mahlum’s Portland office was recognized again in 2017 with a Sustainability at Work GOLD certification by the city of Portland. You can find our profile and sustainable office strategies at www.portlandoregon.gov under Mahlum | Architects, Engineers, and Designers.

via Rachel Auerbach I’ve often wondered why green infrastructure seems so brown. This is a great article that makes me wonder what we can do with our landscape architects, civil engineering, and jurisdictions about having more successful storm water gardens, bioswales, and retention areas. Check this out: https://www.thomasrainer.com/blog/2017/3/25/green-infrastructure-10-has-failed

In our ongoing commitment to community, Mahlum continues advocacy for design of homeless shelters that not only provide safe shelter but enhance resident feelings of security and well-being. Beginning in 2011, Mahlum selected Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) as the recipient of pro bono architectural services. WSCADV’s goal was not to create a […]

via JoAnn Wilcox This study, Planning and Building Healthy Communities for Mental Health: Method, findings and reflections from a recent integrative study, published in the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health Edition 3, concluded that there is a need for more empathic engagement by designers and managers to their task, where they ‘put themselves […]

via PJ Bauser We’re getting ready to start some work where we’ll be investigating new clinic models for a clinician’s group that is used to some traditional spatial and work organizations. I think this article offers a great reminder that we need to first observe how the care givers actually work and what they are […]